--Cleveland is 10th in the Eastern Conference, 4 1/2 games behind eighth-place Atlanta for the last playoff spot, with 10 games to play.

--The Pistons and Cavaliers are both coming off victories. The Cavs have won two in a row after Tuesday's 102-100 home win over the Toronto Raptors, behind Waiters' 24 points. The Pistons broke through with a rare road win against a Western Conference team Saturday at Utah, 114-94. The Pistons had lost five in a row overall and hadn't won on the road since Jan. 18 at Washington.

--The teams have split two previous meetings, with the road team winning each time. The Pistons scored one of their most decisive road wins of the season with a 115-92 win Dec. 23, behind 25 points by Josh Smith and double-doubles by Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe and Brandon Jennings. The Cavaliers won 93-89 on Feb. 12, with Thompson scoring 25 points. The Pistons-Cavs season finale will be April 9 at Cleveland.

--Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving (left biceps strain) has not played since he was injured early in a March 16 game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

--Waiters has averaged 23.8 points in the five games since Irving was injured. Waiters' season average is 15.2 points.

If you're into Tankapalooza, this is when you're in your element. But the Pistons and Cavs have made it clear in recent days that they're not all that much into it, to their credit.

And John Loyer, the Pistons' coach, made it clear he's not thinking about it.

It's that question no one wants to ask, but with the Pistons realistically if not mathematically on the wrong end of the playoff equation, it's the one that has to be asked: At what point do you start taking a hard look at the lesser-used players who will be here next year, like athletic Tony Mitchell and little-used shooter Gigi Datome, to see how they fit future plans?

All Loyer heard was noise, because a mathematical chance is a realistic chance, especially if the Pistons can beat Cleveland two more times, and slap around some of the lesser teams that they're about to play, and maybe beat Miami on Friday, and win at Indiana, and try to catch lightning in a bottle during April when six of eight are on the road. ...

OK, not likely, but Loyer said "if and when" it gets to that point, he would go to the principals and tell them he would gradually shift some playing responsibilities.

That was at Monday's shootaround. A few hours later, the Pistons spanked Utah by 20. They play at Philadelphia Saturday, with the Sixers on pace to set the NBA record for consecutive losses that night, then host Milwaukee on Monday, in a back-to-back against the league's worst teams.

Loyer made it clear there is no change in focus right now, the Pistons are playing the best players and trying to win every game. There's not much hope, 5 1/2 games behind Atlanta for last playoff spot in the East with 12 games to play, but they'll play to keep what hope there is, until it is extinguished.